Is a degree in Hospitality worth it?

I would get the degree in business. The hospitality industry would appreciate it just as much (if not more) than a degree in hospitality and it would transfer to other areas if life took you there. With a degree in hospitality you are pretty much stuck.

It might be a good idea to try to meet with some profs at a local college, and ask them what they think would be more useful. They will have an idea of what the trends in hiring practices are.

Absolutely. Especially if you go to one of the better hospitality schools. My school, Michigan State University, was in the top 2 when I went, not sure if it still is. Cornell was number one. I doubt the Associates degree has all the business classes a four year school does, hospitality is a major in our business school. Some colleges the degree might not be under the business school, so check about that. Even smaller universities have great programs and a hotel right on campus where students intern.

If you want be in upper management I say go for the 4 year degree.

@Aesthetic_Mess: Didn’t you ask this question two days ago?

”“Would it be a waste to get a Bachelor’s in Hospitality Management?”

@gailcalled Sorry! I didn’t realize that. I was just really asking what the industry was like, and that question was really just a side point. No one really answered it.

@Aesthetic_Mess I would say give it a shot. CU had a 100 percent placement for graduates of the College of Hotel and Restuarant Mangement when I was there. There are more schools offering those degrees these days. I think that’d be a great career. You might have to put up with some idiots in that line of work, but 90 percent of people are decent and appreciative of your efforts to make their stays nice. If you like the line of work look into it.

In line with what @glacial suggested, but a slightly different angle: Talk to the career counselors at the college that you plan to attend (or are attending), since their whole focus is on “getting you a job after college so that you’ll be a satisfied alumnus who will contribute to the college’s endowment”. Professors should have a good idea of what’s required in the industry, but they may not be so in tune with who is hiring, where and for what.

@CWOTUS Yes, this is a particularly good idea for industry-related areas. As a researcher, career counselors are never the first thing I think of. ;)

I have an Associate’s degree in Travel and Tourism. It gave me opportunities I would not have had if I hadn’t gone to school. You have the opportunity to meet professionals in the field of work you are interested in and internships are available to you. The people you meet during this time will help you get your foot in the door. There are a number of fun and exciting jobs available to you with a hospitality degree. If you get your foot in the door at a hotel with no degree, you are pretty much stuck at the hotel.

I believe so. At my university, you can earn a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Hospitality and Tourism (or something like that). If your school has something similar, that seems like it would be more beneficial when searching for jobs. I think it’s good not to limit yourself.

I’m not sure the Associates degree would make any difference. They used to, but these days an AA is treated more like another high school diploma rather than a college degree (unless it’s in a trade or technical career like nursing, HVAC, etc). The best, highest-paying jobs go to college grads with at least a Bachelors degree.

I worked in the hospitality industry for ~30 years and the bulk of it was with major hotel companies. Where a degree in the field helps is if you have a specific area in mind, like the restaurant side of the business, or finance, legal, human resources, sales and marketing, etc. If you know what niche interests you, then major in that.

A generic hospitality degree may help get your foot in the door, but it is no guarantee for success. Over the years, I witnessed many people graduate in the field, obtain an entry level management job and sink like a stone because they didn’t have the personality, skills and/or willingness to start at the bottom. Whenever I worked with someone who had a hospitality degree, I’d ask them if they stayed in touch with their classmates and how many were still in the business. The percentage was always minute.

My recommendation would be to get a job in a hotel and see if you really like it. If now is the ideal time to get a college degree, focus on a broad topic, like business administration. This may give you an edge over other candidates for the same position, but not necessarily. Experience is key in hotel management. More people are promoted from within than through outside recruiting.

Here is why: If you are in the US, then the company has to prove that a specific job requires certain skills and/or education. For most hotel management jobs, proven skills trump a degree. Plus, most of the major hotel chains will provide financial assistance should an employee want to take courses in a specific field.

One other comment…knowing more than one language is a huge bonus in the hospitality industry.